Binder.



PATENTBD PEB. 11, 1905.

I. P. RUBBL.

y BINDER. APPLIOA'IYON FILED-SEPT. 11. 1907.

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ISAAC F. RUBEL, .OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BINDER.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed September 11,1907. Serial No. 392,319.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsAAo F. RUBEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State `of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Binders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in `the class of binders for loose or separate sheets of paper, in which are employed a stiff back having posts rising from it at one end on which to file the sheets, and a similar cover provided with means for releasably locking it to the posts; and it relates particularly to an improved construction ofthe locking means referred to.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a binder provided withl my improvement; Fig. 2, a broken plan view showing the locklng means 1n unlocked condition; Fig. 3, a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 4, a view like that presented in Fig. 2, but showing the mechanism in locked condition; Fig. 5, a section taken` at the line 5 on Fig. 4 and viewed in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 6, a perspective view of the operating lever.

The back 7 and cover 8, between-which the leaves 11 are bound, are shown to be hinged in a usual manner to stiff head-sections or strips 9 and 10, respectively. The strip 9 carries at opposite sides of its transverse center the liling-posts 12, 12 to pass through perforations provided, as usual, in the sheets 11 near their ends, and these posts also pass through openings 18, 13 in the strip 10, preferably in the form shown of slots extending inwardly from its outer edge parallel with the ends. On the outer side of the strip 10 is rigidly secured, to extend lengthwise thereof, a flat bearing-plate 14 containing openings 15, 15, preferably in the formshown of slots like and registering with the slots 18, and midway between the ends of this plate is provided therein a short longitudinal slot 16 at opposite sides of which the metal of the plate is formed into arches 17, 17 for the purpose hereinafter explained. A locking-plate 18 is supported to slide lengthwise, within a limited range of movement, on the plate 14, being normally secured in place by headed studs 19 passing through elon gated slots 2O provided at intervals in it, these studs being rigid with the plate 14. The locking slide-plate fits about the posts 12 at openings 21, 21, registering with them and provided in this plate, as in the plate 14, in the preferred form of slots, which are shown to -be slightly bowed or recessed at 22 near their rounded bases to conform to the adj acent rounded surfaces of the posts and thus increase the extent of lockingecontact between them.

Midway between the ends of the plate 18 it contains a longitudinal slot 23 to register with the slot 16 in the plate 14 and at the outer sides of which the metal of the lockingplate is raised to form arches 24, 24 abuttingl against .the inner edges of the arches 17, which extend upward through edge slots 25, 25 provided in the plate 18 at the arches 24. To actuate the plate 18, a spindle 26 is rotatably confined in the horizontal bearing afforded by the arches 17, 24, being confined therein against longitudinal withdrawal by a tongue 27 extending transversely from it to form a cam, which registers with and is confined by the edges of the longitudinal slots 16 and 23 to work against one end of the latter for lcking the plate 18 by turning the handle 28 on the outer end of the spindle and which is adapted to extend normally flush and parallel with the forward edges of the 'plates 14 and 18, as represented, or below the same, and be thus out of the way.

With the cover 8 in place, by turning the handle 28 from its position in Fig. 2 to that in Fig. 4 to engage the cam 27 with an end of the slot 23, the pressure of the cam moves the plate 18 and frictionally binds the edges of the slots 21 against the posts 12, thereby securely locking the cover to confine the loose sheets in the binder, and by turning the handle in the opposite direction, the frictional binding referred to is released, thereby freeing the cover to enable it to be withdrawn from the posts and permit access to the latter for filing or removing sheets.

A particular advantage of the construction thus described, in addition to the advantages of simplicity, durability and chea ness of manufacture, is due to the lockingever 26 being out of the way, with the handle 28 below the surface of the cover, whereby when the binder is full it may be stored, with others that have been filed, in a stack, enabling each to be imposed flatwise, and thus stably, on the one beneath it, since no projections are presented on the upper surfaces of the binders to afford obstructions against the stable stacking referred to. Moreover, the

construction enables the locking lever to be provided as a permanent or non-removable part of the binder, with the advantage of rendering it always accessible, as against a removable key for an analogous purpose,which is liable to be misplaced; and any permanent locking device that forms a projection on the top of the cover is liable to be loosened in storage with the undesirable consequence of releasing the bound sheets.

What l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ish

1, In a binder, the combination of a back having filing-posts upon it, a cover, and locking means therefor comprising'a rigid bearing-plate adapted to seat removably over said posts, a slot-containing locking-plate having openings through which said posts extend and secured upon the bearing-plate and longitudinally movable thereon in one direction to releasably bind it at said openings frictionally against said posts, bearingforming arches on said movable plate between its ends and at opposite sides of the slot therein, a spindle journaled in said bearing and provided with a cam working in said slot to engage one end thereof for moving the locking-plate to so bind it, and a handle on the outer end of said spindle.

2. In a binder, the combination of a back having filing-posts upon it, a cover, and locking-means therefor comprising a rigid bearing-plate ada ted to seat` removably over said posts, a ocking-plate having openings through which said posts extend and secured upon the bearing-plate and longitudinally movable thereon in one direction to releasably bind it at said openings frictionally.

ISAAC F. RUBEL.

In presence of- RALPH SCHAEFER, l. W. T. JONES. 

